Programs & Advocacy

At Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd., we envision downtown as a vibrant, welcoming and cultural place for businesses, workers, residents and visitors. It is a consistently unique and diverse experience with something for everyone. It is a place that connects businesses and provides accessible sidewalks free from snow and ice year-round! Creating and maintaining an inviting, clean and safe downtown takes commitment and passion. Through a combination of public policy advocacy, research, place making and direct services, we are creating a healthy, vibrant downtown.

Creating programs and initiatives that increase the vibrancy of our community is something we do year-round. This brings new visitors into downtown while stimulating economic development of our downtown businesses and creating an enjoyable place full of a variety of activities for residents of our community.

We take pride that no other neighborhood in or around Anchorage can provide a more unique and diverse experience, on a consistent basis.

Sponsor a Trash Can Downtown!

Help adorn our city by sponsoring a NEW Trash Can in downtown Anchorage! We are looking for sponsors to help pay for the decoration and upkeep of each container for a total of 2 years. We have the ability to take each artist’s work or photography and create a wrap that can be replaced if tarnished or destroyed. Each Trash Can will showcase your very own artwork or support the work of a local artist! Decorating each can will help beautify the sidewalks of Downtown Anchorage and showcase our city in a unique way. We look forward to working with you! Read more to view the sponsorship packet.

If you’re interested in sponsoring or need assistance with artwork, please contact Jennifer Adams at jen.ancartist@gmail.com.

Winter City Lighting

Get ready to hang those LED lights now! Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd., AEDC Live. Work. Play. Initiative, ACDA and Anchorage Chamber of Commerce are joining forces with downtown businesses to bring back the annual Anchorage City of Lights program. Read more on how you can get involved!

Contact us now if you would like a free strand (or more) of LED lights to hang in your business windows!

For FREE Lights, please contact our office at 907-279-5650.

Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. and our downtown partner organizations have identified increased lighting as a key issue in improving public safety in Anchorage, especially in the dark winter months and when there is little snow to reflect existing light. Adding exterior lights to businesses and residences is an easy and effective way to increase safety and walkability of the city during the wintertime. In addition, the extra light creates an inviting atmosphere into business storefronts encouraging shoppers and locals to visit and shop at our small, local businesses.

The City of Lights is a longtime tradition in Anchorage, starting in 1994, where residents and business owners were encouraged to display white lights on their buildings throughout the winter, while light poles on streets and sidewalks were wrapped with lights to enhance visibility and holiday spirit on major thoroughfares. In recent years the program was cut because of budget constraints.

Though the municipality is facing a tight budget season, the business community has stepped up to support the project to brighten up downtown this winter. Lights will be going up during the week of Thanksgiving, and the downtown streets will continue to be lit through the end of Fur Rendezvous in March.

Downtown businesses are encouraged to decorate and hang white holiday lights on the exterior of their buildings or in their storefront window display by Saturday, November 24th, which is National Small Business Saturday. The Anchorage Downtown Partnership will provide complimentary lights to any business that needs assistance getting them, and will be helping to wrap lights on light poles on main roads in Downtown Anchorage.

Mural Creation

The 4th Avenue Theatre is the iconic downtown building, located in the heart of historic 4th Avenue. The Theatre currently lacks a tenant and fell victim to vandalism over the past winter. In order to help put a brighter face on this icon of downtown until a new tenant can be found for the building, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. worked with local photographers and the University of Alaska to compile historic photos of the Theatre and 4th Avenue that could be blown up into larger than life murals covering the previously boarded-up doors and windows.

Facade Improvements

As a core value, Anchorage Downtown Partnership assists Downtown property owners to help improve the cleanliness and outward appearance of downtown; to help decrease crime; to increase occupancy rates, investment values and lease income; and to generally stimulate economic development and improve the quality of life in downtown.

We supports the concept that design, brand and outward appearance of our community impacts our visitors view of whether downtown Anchorage is a vibrant, unique and welcoming neighborhood. We encourage our downtown stakeholders to take pride in their buildings and Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. is always looking for grants and partnerships to assist property owners to keep their facades up to date, clean and welcoming.

We provide supplemental services such as graffiti removal to assist property and business owners in keeping their storefronts clean and kept.

We provide recommendations for exterior lighting to create a safer environment for downtown businesses, residents and visitors.

Anchorage Downtown Placemaking works to bring positive energy and use to downtown’s parks and public spaces. The program facilitates collaborative use of these spaces through inspiration, coordination and reducing existing barriers to entry. Together with partnering organizations, Anchorage Downtown Placemaking allows space activation programming to more easily fill the downtown parks: Town Square, Peratrovich Park, and the 5th Ave Rooftop Park, as well as other empty public spaces in downtown: alleyways, vacant store fronts, street corners, etc. Anchorage Downtown Placemaking packages together rental equipment, venue space, and assistance with permitting and marketing to make it easy and efficient for your business or organization to host an event downtown. The program also includes the organization of weekly community programming throughout the summer, offering fitness classes, theater and dance lessons, and more.

During the first two summers of the program, over 150 small scale events were held in Town Square Park and Peratrovich Park, including regular weekly fitness classes, concerts, theater performances, buskers, art displays and more! To see photos and up to date updates on Placemaking events, visit the Facebook page.

Summer Greeter Programs

In 2005, downtown business owners expressed concerns to Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. about the availability of tour bus loading & unloading locations within downtown. To address their concerns — concerns shared by tour company operators as well — ADP worked with the Municipality and Anchorage Community Development Authority to create additional tour bus loading & unloading locations along 4th Avenue where visitors could get off the motorcoaches to spend 2-4 hours in downtown Anchorage.

The program has been a success, with over 131,982 additional visitors being dropped off & picked back up in downtown Anchorage since 2005.

ADP staffs a Greeter Station on 4th Avenue to provide information (brochures, coupons, maps & flyers of downtown businesses) to motorcoach guests, as well as any visitors who may already be in downtown. ADP also produces its own informational brochures on Things To Do in Downtown 2017, as well as a guide to commonly asked questions called 411 on Downtown Anchorage.

Graffiti & Sticker Removal

One of the most effective ways to combat graffiti is to photograph the graffiti, report it to the police, and then remove it immediately. Our goal within the Downtown Improvement District is to have graffiti removed within 24 hours of its appearance.

Working in close cooperation with the Anchorage Police Department, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. Security & Maintenance Ambassadors are trained to spot and report graffiti. We also encourage downtown property owners, business owners, and residents to assist in keeping downtown graffiti-free. If you see graffiti, we encourage you to follow the process outlined below.

As soon as you see Graffiti on or around your property, please call our Maintenance Ambassadors at (907) 277-0141 (or leave a message) and provide:

Your Name and Company/Business

A phone number where you can be reached

Exact location of the Graffiti

Once ADP receives the call, a maintenance ambassador will be dispatched to take a picture of the Graffiti.

Once we have the picture of the Graffiti, we will file a complaint with the Anchorage Police department on your behalf.

Also, at that time a maintenance ambassador will be assigned to remove the graffiti within 24 business hours.

We will attempt to remove the Graffiti with our Graffiti removal products. If unsuccessful we will ask the Property manager/owner to get us matching paint and we will paint over the Graffiti. Note: we prefer paint that has been supplied by the property or business owner, but we will try to match our paint as close as possible if directed to from the property/business owner.

Working closely with Anchorage Police and other emergency response services, the Security Ambassadors have become a vital part of making downtown Anchorage a better – and safer – place.

Maintenance Ambassadors

The Maintenance Team provides supplemental services for downtown Anchorage within the approximately 126 blocks of the DID. You can see them on the street picking up trash, responding to graffiti, or at one of the many events that take place throughout downtown.

Maintenance Ambassadors provide services designed to:

Maintain a clean, attractive and orderly downtown.

Ensure downtown Anchorage as the best place to live, work, shop, and play.

Provide assistance for public space maintenance issues.

Serve as Ambassadors of downtown for visitors, residents, businesses, and property owners.

Partner with public entities in enhancing our community-based quality of life.

Maintenance Ambassadors are easily recognizable in their orange work wear and work 7 days a week to enhance cleanliness and aid in snow removal within the DID. The entire DID is cleaned daily on foot, or with various maintenance equipment, including trucks, RTVs, tractors, Sweepsters, Honda four-wheelers, and numerous other walk-behind sweepers, snowblowers and vacuums.

Maintenance Ambassadors also utilize Community Work Service workers to maximize both perceptions of and actual cleaning in the DID. In addition, a partnership with the Veterans’ Industries and Assets, Inc. allows Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. to reintegrate veterans into the work force, and to provide an avenue for Alaskans with disabilities to solve their employment needs and live independently.

Economic Development

Anchorage Downtown Partnership monitors the pulse of downtown Anchorage by tracking demographics, vacancy rates, and development activity to help you understand the market. Armed with small business experience, our team understands different perspectives and has the know-how to get things done. Anchorage Downtown Partnership is honored to be a partner in what keeps our city and downtown a special place people want to be: welcoming, clean, safe, vibrant, inclusive, and buzzing with the energy of opportunity and innovation.

Marketing for Downtown

Downtown is only as good as the people who come to play, shop, dine and enjoy!

Part of Anchorage Downtown Partnership’s efforts into keeping downtown Anchorage vibrant is to market downtown and create marketing promotions to assist our member businesses.

The downtown marketing committee operates off of a marketing plan that was developed to help market different areas of downtown from parking to dining to tourism.

Experience is marketing. We also rely on those who visit and enjoy our community to assist with marketing through social media. This requires the marketing and creation of hashtags and marketing outlets to assist our visitors to use already created social media tags and hashtags.

Research and Development

A part of being the best improvement district that we can be is obtaining statistics that impact our downtown community. Being able to obtain accurate statistics and apply, flex and change our services and programs based on those statistics, and what the research shows, is how we better our programs and service to downtown.

We research other downtowns and improvement districts daily while also looking at best practices of other organizations in order to better our downtown. Looking at other improvement districts development of center cities and programs is inspiration for us to improve downtown Anchorage.

We look to our partner organizations who obtain research and statistics that impact our community in addition to using that information to look forward of what our economic future will look like as a downtown.

Crime and safety statistics from the Anchorage Police Department impact how our ambassador programs are reactive to the community needs and our membership base. We also use those statistics to help sway perceptions of our community.

Below is a list of research, development and statistics that we gather every day. We report on our statistics at every monthly membership meeting to our downtown stakeholders, in addition to our annual meeting. Having these statistics allows us to accurately speak about the state of downtown to the community.

Statistics that we consist track and report on include:

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Location and Availability of empty storefronts & retails space

IMPACT OF FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS

Economic Impact of Free Community Events

Number of Event Attendance

Perception of Cleanliness of Downtown During Events

Perception of Safety in Downtown During Events

Perception of Vibrancy of Downtown

Effectiveness of Marketing for Programs & Events

Percentage of New to Seasoned Visitors Who Came Downtown for Events & Programs

Demographics of Event Attendees

AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

ADP Event Hours

Contracted Events

Contracted Event Hours

Greeter Station Setups

Greeter Station Setup Hours

Rental Hours

Contract Hours Clean

Contract Hours Safe

EQUIPMENT

ATV Miles

Kubota B3030HS Hours

Security Mule RTV Hours

Case DX 31 Hours

Dodge P/U Truck Miles

Tennant Vacuum Truck Hours

MAINTENANCE

Blocks Snow Removal

Pounds of Ice Melt Applied

Tons of Garbage Removed

Power Wash Hours

Blocks Power-Washed

Blocks Power-Swept

Graffiti Removed

Stickers/Poster Removed

Dump Areas Cleaned

Calls For Service

Service Calls Completed

Calls For Service (to MOA)

Service Calls Completed (by MOA)

SECURITY

Patrol Mileage

Security Checks

Welfare Checks

Request for Assistance

Info Services

Request APD

Request ASP

Request AFD

Public Intoxication

Drugs

Assaults/Fights

Panhandler Issues

Thefts Reported

Assist Police

Town Square Incidents

Brown Jug Theft Recovery

Trespassing

Loitering

Harassment

Disturbance

Urination

Sleeping

Mental Health Issue

Indecent Exposure

Camp Cleanups

Total Incidents

Banner Programs

We love our downtown banners! We are always looking for community partners to help assist with the creation of new banners for downtown that support our downtown identity. Whether it’s banners that help canvass downtown to add a fun element to the winter months, to banners that help enliven the streets for the summer months, we create programs and assist with the hanging of the light pole banners for downtown.

Downtown Image

Welcoming, vibrant, and cultural is downtown Anchorage’s brand. All of the programs and services we provide aid in our mission and promise to the downtown members to keep downtown clean, safe, and vital. These efforts all impact our downtown image to those who come to visit, live, dine, work, shop, and play in our community.

Also associated with this image are marketing programs and the creation of a new brand for downtown that Anchorage Downtown Partnership has been working on.